Chocolate Frosted Brownies
These frosted brownies start with fudge brownies and are topped with a luscious chocolate buttercream frosting (that includes a secret ingredient!).
Raise your hand if you were a teenager during the ’90s. I know there have to be oodles of you out there. Ahh, the 90’s. When jeans were pegged. When flannel shirts were worn because grunge was the latest fad. When alt rock was the most popular type of music. When Beverly Hills 90210 was can’t-miss-TV. Before smartphones. Before social media. Before a completely wired world. Simple times!
During my teenage years in the mid-90’s, I belonged to our church’s youth group. We’d get together a couple of Sunday nights a month and do youth group-y types of things. Sometimes it was serious and church-related. Sometimes it was flag football. Sometimes it was a service project. No matter what activity was going on, there was one constant – Judi’s chocolate-frosted brownies. They showed up every week, without fail. Sometimes, though, Judi showed up late; when that happened, she was immediately accosted by a mad throng of teenagers needing an immediate sugar fix. My brain will always and forever link together youth group Sunday nights and frosted brownies.
Pretty much all of my life before and after those high school youth group years has been devoid of frosted brownies. You’d think that since I loved them so much, I would have taken it upon myself to bust open a box of brownie mix and a can of frosting and make it happen. (Those most certainly would have been the steps taken by 18-year-old me; I had yet to appreciate the joys of baking everything from scratch.) It never happened. Even after I began baking regularly, and through all of the brownie recipes that I made, a light bulb never went off.
It wasn’t until I was flipping through the Joy the Baker Cookbook and landed on the page with this recipe that my mind raced back nearly 20 years (ouch, that makes me feel really old). I was immediately taken back to Sunday nights in the church basement, with a throwaway tin foil pan of frosted brownies sitting on a table, being devoured square by frosted square.
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I first made this recipe nearly five years ago and had all but forgotten about it, however I have been craving them like mad since seeing frosted brownies pop up on Jessica’s Instagram feed multiple times over the last few months. After seeing them again on New Year’s, I saw that I had everything I needed for them in my pantry, and that was that.
Brownies, done. Frosting, done. One VERY happy belly.
Aside from the memories they evoke, I can’t tell you how utterly amazing these are. The brownie itself is rich and wonderfully moist, definitely fudge-like. And the frosting? It’s chocolatey, sweet, smooth, creamy, and perfect in every possible way. Joy says that it’s her very favorite chocolate frosting. It might be mine now, too.
This is the ultimate combination for anyone who’s a fan of brownies or chocolate frosting. And if you’re a fan of both? You’re in for one amazingly indulgent treat!
One year ago: Ground Beef Tacos
Two years ago: Banana Muffins
Five years ago: New England Clam Chowder
Six years ago: Peanut Butter Cup Bars
Seven years ago: Maple-Oatmeal Scones
Chocolate Frosted Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- ¾ cup (93.75 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (90 g) semisweet chocolate chips
For the Frosting
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (21.5 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- 1¼ cups (150 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (59.5 ml) heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons Ovaltine chocolate malt powder
Instructions
- Make the Brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch-square baking dish and line with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the edges. Butter the parchment paper; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Bring about an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Place a medium, heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan (do not let it touch the water) and add the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whisk in the granulated and brown sugars. Whisk in the egg, the yolk, and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture all at once, and fold it into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Allow to cool completely; meanwhile, make the frosting.
- To Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, cocoa powder, and salt on medium speed for about 3 minutes (mixture will be thick).
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed to incorporate the sugar, and while the mixer is running, slowly add the milk and vanilla extract. Gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high, beating until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- In a 1-cup measuring cup, or in a small bowl, stir together the heavy cream and the Ovaltine. Reduce the mixer speed to medium, and pour the cream mixture in a slow, steady stream and mix until thoroughly combined. (This recipe produces a soft frosting; you can add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time, if you would like a stiffer frosting.)
- Spread the frosting onto the cooled brownies, and cut into squares. Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on April 26, 2012.
Loved this recipe! I swirled peanut butter with the chocolate and let me tell you, it tasted heavenly!!! The brownie was very light and was almost cake like, but none the less the taste was fantastic (: If i were to remake this recipe i will be making this as a cake instead of a brownie.
Michelle, I loved your recipe. YUMMY!!
I am going to try it..
Thanks
I made these and loved, loved them. The frosting — I could just eat a bowl of it with a spoon. I plan on trying this frosting with your dark chocolate cupcakes this weekend!
Hi, i really want to make these tonight for New Year’s, but i was wondering if it was possible to use semi-sweet baking chocolate instead of unsweetened?
Hi Astrid, If you don’t use unsweetened, the brownies will probably be a little too much on the sweet side. I would use the darkest chocolate you have if you can’t use unsweetened, but I really do recommend unsweetened.
I made these brownies last night and they are spectacular! So fudgy… so magically delicious. These are my new favorite brownie! I paired it with Bon Appetit’s Mocha Mascarpone Frosting and it made for a fantastic combination. These were loved by all and will be made often. Thank you, Michelle! :o)
Hugs and blessings!
can you make these ahead of time and freeze them?
Yes, I don’t see why not.
I made these yesterday and loved them! I substituted cocoa powder & oil for the baking chocolate and half and half for the cream (didn’t want to make an extra trip to the store). The frosting was thinner than I was expecting, but it set up overnight. I don’t think I’ll change anything the next time I make them – good stuff!
these look amazing! would you double it if using a 9 x 13″ pan? How long would you bake it for?
Hi Marcy, Yes, you could double this and bake it in a 9×13-inch pan. I would check it at the same time as the recipe indicates, maybe 5 minutes sooner just to be safe.
I made this today, and OMG it was amazing. Thank you for a truely great recipe! =)
Hey! I love that cake stand! Where did you buy it??? Also, I am a big fan of all your recipes! I just made your peanut butter rice krispie treats last night! YUM!
Thank you, Krista! I actually got it at TJ Maxx!
Just an FYI for anyone who has read through these posts and made it down to the end-
I just made the frosting for these brownies. Except I tried using it on cupcakes. Bad idea. This frosting is ideal for a dessert like brownies, it’s light and buttery, but the consistency is still fairly soft because it doesn’t need to stand on its own. So needless to say, I thought I knew better and tried it on cupcakes and it doesn’t work! I will attempt the best chocolate buttercream for cupcakes recipe next time. DUH…
Have you tried these without baking powder?
Hi Michael, No, I haven’t.
I was a teenager of the 70’s, not the 90’s, and my mom made oatmeal cookies, never brownies. I wish she had. I loved those cookies but I would’ve rather had brownies. She baked cookies, otherwise we went to the local bakery for cakes and bread. If there were no cookies, than she wold give us a dollar and tell us to go down the street and buy ourselves somethng (me and my sister).
I love foods that evoke memories. I had an incident like that yesterday -at a Chinese buffet. I took a Shrimp Toast and it brought me right back to 1969 and the local cantonese Chinese restaurant.
These brownies look perfect. Thanks for the recipe.
These totally remind me of the 90’s and the brownies that my mom used to make! I whipped up a batch last night, and they were delicious. Thanks for a trip down memory lane, BEB!
Chocolate brownies + chocolate frosting is a weakness of mine. I’d rather have this for my birthday than any cake in the world.
Oh man I was a teenager during the 90s and some of my best memories are of church youth group.
My mom makes brownies like this and they are so great!
I hate to admit it, but my teenage years spanned the late 70’s and early 80’s. Life was really uncomplicated then, 8 track tapes, big hair, …. you get the picture. Brownies speak to the teenagers in all of us, regardless of our age. These look delicious and I will definitely plan on making them. I only wish I had my teenage metabolism, so I could devour the whole pan without guilt.
I just used your brownie recipe to make malted chocolate brownie fudge ice cream. Heaven served on a spoon. Thank you! If you’re curious, I’ll have the post up soon. Have finally decided to enter the world of food blogging and am a HUGE fan of your site.
Made these last weekend, used a chocolate glaze on top so haven’t tried the frosting yet. Loved them! Especially cold from fridge!
These sure do look fabulous! I haven’t frosted my brownies in a long time…I’ll have to change that soon!
My sister would love this! :)
Gorgeous brownies and im sure they are decadent :)
Oh My Word! These look amazing!
Ha! I wish I was a teenager in the 90’s. I’m dating myself when I tell you my kids were even out of their teens back then. Still, these brownies are timeless, not to mention delicious!
I want a brownie and a big one:)
These look wonderful! Love the frosting!
With the frosting they’re obviously different, but how do these compare to the Baked brownie?
Hi Kara, They are very, very similar, although I would say that the Baked brownie is probably a little less thick, and richer. That being said, they are both unbelievably excellent!
These brownies look amazing! My son wants brownies for his birthday. :)
The 90’s were such a magical time. A time when I spent far too much time looking for the Jordan Catalano to my Angela ;)
Ahh, I love the My So-Called Life reference! :)
I could so eat most all of this brownie recipe right now. It looks just delicious.
Now that’s some double trouble right there! :-) These look so wonderful. I, too, was a teenager in the 90’s… oh the memories…
UGH!! I had the final fitting on my gown for my daughter’s wedding next Friday, and the seamstress did it so that it’s very snug and figure-hugging. So I will just have to wait to try these. Believe me, I’d rather be baking them right now than all that needs to be done still. Can’t believe I’m going to be a mother-in-law. Can I run away and just bake with you for the next couple of weeks????
Seriously, the recipe looks awesome, and I’ll be trying them out after we return from Mexico.
Congratulations on your daughter’s wedding! I should hold a “runaway” baking retreat :)
Michelle, just name the time and place, and I’m SO all over it! Thanks for the congrats.